Ticket credit accounting system



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Filed April 5, 1966 lll TEF-iB lEl' INVENTORS STANLEY M.wE|R, ADRIAN P.ELICH R|CHARD HENEY, CHESTER SZYMANSKI FRANK $.CHYTIL BY j March 17,1970 s. M. wr-:IR ETAL TICKET CREDIT ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed April 5,1966 19 Sheets-Shee*\I 8 INVENTORS CHESTER SZYMANSKI FRANK S. GHYTILSTANLEY unwem ADRIAN P.E|.|cH mcHARD HEANE? M a man( ATTQREY "March 17,1970 s. MWEIR HAL 3,501,622

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ma We! ATTORNEY DOLLAR MOTOR March 17, 1970 s. M. wElR ETAL v 3,501,522

TICKET CREDIT ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed April 5, 1966 19 Sheets-Sheet l5 FI I3 1 '7 SETS O ,-DOLLARS INVENTORS STANLEY M.WEIR, ADRAIN P.ELICHRICHARD HEANEY,GHESTER SZYMANSKI BY FRANK $.CHYTIL J/zaa'vm M ATTORNEYNICKEL MOTOR March 17, 1970 s. M. wElR ETAL TICKET CREDIT ACCOUNTINGSYSTEM 19 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed April 5, 1966 am wA UU IOPDJO INVENTORSCHESTER SZYMANSKI FRANK $.CHYTIL ATTORNEY STANLEY M.VIEIR, ADRIAN P.ELICH RICHARD HEANEY,

MW am Exec omwom 552 S. M. WElR ET AL TICKET CREDIT ACCOUNTING SYSTEMMarch 17, 1970 19 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed April 5, 1966 March 17, 1970 s.M. WEIRv ETAL TICKET CREDIT ACCOUNTING SYSTEM 19 Sheets-Shee.. 16

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al m1 ATTQRNEY S. M. WElR ETFl AL TICKET CREDIT ACCOUNTING SYSTEM March17, 1970 19 Shees-Sheel 18 Filed April 5, 1966 March 17, 1970 s. M.wElRv ETAL TICKET CREDIT ACCOUNTING SYSTEM 19 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 FiledApril 5, 1966 mmnHl-MIH-H-ILF Mmbzzou SUVTIOO #En AMS 2.20m

INVENTORS STANLEY M.wE|R, ADRIAN P. ELCH RICHARD HENEY, CHESTER SZYMNSKFRANK 5. CHYTlL BY Qua/lun( ATTORNEY )50W uma.

United AStates Patent() U.S. Cl. 23S-61.11 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An automatic fare system wherein the ticket has magnetic codeinformation and human readable coordinate grid information as to ticketvalue. The entrance and exit gate turnstiles and a central computerautomatically account for the fare of each ride. A ticket handlingmechanism and a digitally stepped coordinate grid printer are alsodescribed.

This invention relates to automatic accounting systems and an embodimentwill be described as applied to va ticket 'credit system, (stored Valueticket), such as could be used in rapid transit and other publictransportation lines. In the description of the invention that follows,the article bearing the transaction value data is in the form of atransportation ticket, and will be so described. This does not mean thatthe invention is limited to the use of railroad or other transportationtickets. This invention is an improvement over the system of BritishPatent 857,658 published Jan. 4, 1961, in a manner which will beapparent.

The system of the present invention processes a stored value ticket.That is, indication as to the current cash value of the ticket and otherdata are contained on the ticket itself, so long as the ticket is valid.The ticket bears both machine-readable and human-readable transactionvalue data. The machine-readable data are in the form of a magneticstrip having recorded thereon the value of the ticket and othersignificant data relative to the transportation system such as thestation of entry or exit, the time, type of ticket, etc. Thehuman-readable data are in the form of visual marking on acoordinate-grid, which indicate the initial cash value of the ticket indollars and nickels (cents) and the value of the same ticket after eachride. The marking in of the new, lower value of the ticket on thecoordinate-grid does not efface the previous markings so that the ticketholder need not know what the data is on the machine-readable (magneticstrip) portion of the ticket to check the operation of this system andinsure that he is getting his moneys worth.

Other features and advantages of the system of the present inventionemploying a ticket of the type described are:

The system can be set up using graduated or zone fares with the cashvalue of each ride beingautomatically accounted for (deducted) on theticket.

Care is taken to avoid erasing of the transaction value data on themagnetic tape unless the system is properly functioning. At the entrygate of a station, the initial machine-readable data including thetransaction value of the ticket, is automatically read when the ticketholder inserts it in the ticket receiving portion of the gate. Assumingthat a fresh ticket has been purchased, the magnetic strip will bear theinitial value in a Current Value Zone. At the entry gate, the initialvalue and other information pertinent to the station, etc. arere-written in an En Route Value Zone, in a manner that does not destroythe machine-readable recording of the transaction value data initiallyon the ticket.

3,501,622 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 ice The apparatus at the entry gateautomatically verifies the aforesaid newly written machine-readabledata, and in fact reveries it, before sending the initial data thus readfrom one zone and rewritten on the ticket in another zone, to anarithmetic processor such as a central computer. l

This is accomplished by providing at least two zones on the magneticstrip for data. In the present example there is a zone for the initialdata (current value zone), and a zone for the newly written data (enroute value zone), which, if all goes right should be a duplicate of theinitial data. Thus, by rewriting (copying down) the initial data withoutdisturbing it, there is no danger of destroying the recorded initialvalue of the ticket.

Of course, having the transaction value of the ticket visually marked ona coordinate grid assists officials in catching errors in the magneticstrip reading and writing operations, and prevents depriving the ticketholder of the remaining value of his ticket. The apparatus in the entrygate, as mentioned, veries the new machine written data before sendingthem to a Parity Logic and to a central computer.

Assuming that all goes well, and that the ticket is initially valid, theticket holder passes through the entry gate, now holding a ticketcontaining both the initial and the rewritten transaction value (enroute) data on the magnetic strip. These data are on the current valueand en route Value zones, respectively, as explained.

After leaving the transportation train or the like the ticket holdermust pass through an exit gate, using his ticket as a key in order toopen the exit turnstile.

At the exit gate, an exit unit reads the transcribed (en route)transaction value on the en route value zone that was written in andverified at the entrance gate, which data will include the station ofentry. Parity bit data is also written and read for verification. Thesedata are sent from the exit gate reader to the central computer, whichcalculates the fare from the entrance to the exit stations and sends thenew current value of ticket to the exit gate Write unit. The new currentValue and other data are written in place of the data initially in thecurrent value zone of the ticket, and veriied. If all is well, thecomputer opens the exit turnstile to the ticket holder. If a ticket doesnot have stored thereon enough value for the ride, or if there are othererrors connected with the ticket, the ticket holder will not be able touse the eXit turnstile but will be directed to the Station Agent.

Another important feature of the invention is that a coordinate-gridticket marking apparatus is automatically operated at the exit gate tomark visually the new cash value of the ticket, that is, the value ofthe ticket after the fare for the last ride has been subtracted by thecentral computer. This marker is also automatically controlled by thecentral computer and shows the latest value of the ticket without havingdefaced or erased the previous values thereon. This enables the ticketholder to check the operation of the system and assures he does not loseany value due to the automatic equipment. This enables the number ofvalue bits to equal the product of the unit data bits in the control.

Other features of the invention are as follows:

The ticket contains an arrow having a magnetic strip thereon so locatedthat the orientation of the ticket can be checked before it enters themain portions of either the entrance or the exit gates. If the ticket isnot properly oriented, it will be automatically returned to the ticketholder.

The entry gate unit is compatible with a coin vendor. This automaticallyproducesy a single ride ticket bearing the cash value, corresponding tothe coins deposited in the vendor, in the en route value zone of themagnetic

